Le French Toast, Round Deux

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Oh, hello. Yep, that's a big, beautiful plate of French toast you see. Is said toast smothered in sliced strawberries and fresh blackberries? Yes, yes it is. Is it also dusted with cinnamon-cocoa and powdered sugar? Yes. We are dead with glee. Oh, and what's over on the right-hand side? Just some roasted potatoes and kabocha squash with rosemary, that's all.

The Goods: What makes an awesome lunch of brunch even better? A fabulous guest, of course. Today we had the pleasure of dining with Lisa Jervis, the co-founder of Bitch Magazine. Though Lisa's no longer with Bitch, we enjoyed a little magazine shop talk at lunch. Want to have your mind totally blown? Bitch moved from Oakland, Calif., to Portland, Ore., which is where Lyndsay will be for the Let Live Conference this weekend. Whoa!

Detox Delights

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: Light, savory chickpea cutlets. These delicious cornmeal-based morsels were bursting with chickpeas, red onion, grated zucchini, garlic, and the perfect blend of spices. A beautiful salad made the ideal counterpart with Swiss chard, cabbage, and cucumber, all tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. After an obligatory dash of Parma, this tasty duo didn't stand a chance.

The Goods: After an indulgent Brunch Week (we’re not complaining), this refreshing lunch is just what the VN staff needed. Ms. Lyndsay took a culinary cue from Moira Nordholt, whose 21-day detox program kicks off this week. The lunchtime verdict? If detoxing tastes this good, sign us up. Before we can say good-bye to brunch, we must say congratulations to Humboldt Honey! Send us an email with your full name and mailing address, and we’ll send the last coveted copy of Vegan Brunch your way. Thanks to all who commented for making Brunch Week a success!

Brunch Week: Banana Rabanada

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: An astoundingly awesome brunch. Really, look at that thing. Colleen set out to end Brunch Week with a bang, which is precisely what she did. First and foremost, there's the Banana Rabanada (aka Brazilian French Toast). This is how French toast should always look: covered in strawberries and mint, and dusted with cinnamon-cocoa and powdered sugar. For the savory element, Colleen marinated and roasted both yellow and sweet potatoes, which we devoured. Finally, a refreshing slice of honeydew finished off the meal.

The Goods: Um, yes. This is what a plate of brunch should look like. Brunch Week has been amazing, and we're all stuffed to the gills. Vegan Brunch, consider your mission accomplished. There are two orders of business that need attending. First off, congratulations to Marni! Marni, send us an email with your full name and mailing address, and we'll send out your signed copy of Vegan Brunch! And second, for the very last copy of this utterly satisfying book, tell us: What should our next lunch theme be? Could be a type of food, or another cookbook from which to try recipes. Put your nominations in the comments!

Brunch Week: Tofu Omelets with Mushrooms and Spinach

The Chef: Charlotte

The Menu: The most brunch-like meal we've had all week! Charlotte combined the savory, spinach- and mushroom-stuffed omelets with sweet chunks of fresh pineapple for a lovely two-taste meal.

The Goods: First, congratulations to our brand-new chef, Charlotte! Ok, by this point in the week you probably know the drill. A huge congratulations to Allychristine, who scored herself a signed copy of Vegan Brunch! Allychristine, go ahead and send us an email with your full name and mailing address. Today is Thursday, and that means two things. One: a bunch of us are going to karaoke, and of course are heading to Ike's first! Two: we only have one more copy of Vegan Brunch left! We'll all be sorry to see Brunch Week come to an end. Le sigh. To (possibly) win one of them, answer this in the comments: What's your favorite restaurant to go to for brunch?

Brunch Week: Polenta Rancheros

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A big bowl of Polenta Rancheros and side salad with fresh corn and grated zucchini. What, exactly, is involved in Polenta Rancheros, you ask? Mostly, this dish is made of black beans simmered in a spiced tomato sauce, topped with a fluffy spoonful of polenta, which is all then topped with fresh guacamole. In short, a huge amount of awesomeness is involved! We could each have eaten about six bowls of this savory standout.

The Goods: Yes, Brunch Week is maybe our most favorite theme of all. Holy heck, every recipe we've made so far has been amazing. Congratulations to Connie, our lucky winner from yesterday's comments! Connie, send us an email with your full name and mailing address, and your copy of Vegan Brunch will be sent out asap! For today's copy of this too-good-to-be-true tome, tell us in the comments: What's your fantasy brunch dish? Yes, you have to pick just one, and of course it has to be vegan!

Brunch Week: Mom's Morning Casserole

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: The super-extra tasty Mom's Morning Casserole from Vegan Brunch! Um, holy heck. This triple-layer treat was made of roasted potatoes, seasoned tofu and tempeh, and melted non-dairy cheese. And, according to our breath right now, about 50 cloves of garlic, about which we are all very, very happy. This savory standout was an awesomely hearty midday meal, and was perfectly complemented by a fresh salad with grated beets.

The Goods: Wow! Judging from yesterday's comments, you're all eager for the chance to win a signed copy of this awesome book! Sadly, there can be only one winner per day. Congratulations to bluebue, whose multi-course ideas caught our attention. Bluebue, send us an email with your name and mailing address, and we'll send your book right out! For the chance to win today's copy, tell us in the comments: Who are your top three ideal brunch guests?

Brunch Week: Puttanesca Scramble and Chive Spelt Biscuits

The Chef: Kailey

The Menu: A delectable brunch, taken straight from the pages of Vegan Brunch! Ms. Kailey treats us to two superb, savory dishes: the Puttanesca Scramble and Chive Spelt Biscuits. Both were highly delicious, and we could have sat and chatted for hours, as you're supposed to do at brunch. Then we remembered that there's this little thing called VegNews magazine that doesn't just make itself, so we got back to work.

The Goods: Welcome to Brunch Week! We're celebrating two things in the office this week, namely the recently released Vegan Brunch, and the return of our dear Ms. Abby as a full-fledged staffer! As you might recall, Abby has a thing for brunch, so putting the two together seemed like a natural fit. So, all this week we'll be making mouth-watering brunch recipes from the book. But wait, there's more! We'll also be giving away one copy of Vegan Brunch—signed by one Isa Chandra Moskowitz—every day! To throw your hat in the ring for today's copy, tell us in the comments: What's your preferred brunch M.O., sweet or savory?